Indian female doctor victimized: Perpetrator sentenced to life in prison, biological mother makes shocking statement

When her son was found guilty, the mother of Sanjoy Roy - the man who did terrible things to a female doctor in India, had some surprising words to share. No one thought she could say these words.

On January 20, a court sentenced Sanjoy Roy to life imprisonment for the rape and murder of a 31-year-old female intern at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. The incident occurred when the girl was resting in the conference hall during her shift in August 2024. The victim's parents expressed their dissatisfaction with the sentence.

Sitting by the door of her house on Sambhunath Pandit Road, about 6km from Sealdah Court, Malati Roy patiently waited for the verdict on her son, Sanjoy Roy. When informed that her son had been found guilty, Malati said: "I have three daughters, I understand the pain of the victim's parents... Let my son receive whatever punishment he deserves. Even if the court sentences him to death, I will accept it."

Roy's sister, Sabita, choked up and said: "What my brother did was unimaginable, too cruel. Although it hurts, I have to say, if he really committed the crime, he deserves the harshest sentence. The victim is also a woman, like me, and a doctor." She and her mother did not visit him during his detention during the trial.

Earlier on October 7, 2024, Indian police charged a man with raping and killing a 31-year-old female intern. The incident that shocked Indian public opinion occurred in August. In a hall of the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, West Bengal, the body of the female intern was found with many injuries and signs of being sexually assaulted.

The suspect, Sanjoy Roy (33 years old), was arrested a day after the incident. On October 7, Indian police officially charged Roy with a top secret evidence document submitted to the court. "Sanjoy Roy has been charged with raping and murdering a female post-graduate intern at the hospital," an official of India's Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) told AFP.

According to Indian media, Roy had once volunteered to help patients at the hospital. He could face the death penalty if convicted. It is likely that this is why the victim's family did not accept the sentence when the court upheld the life sentence.

The rape and death of a female doctor in a hospital after a shift has outraged the Indian medical community. Thousands of doctors across the country have gone on strike to demand better protection for health workers. Most Indian doctors returned to work in October, but a small group protested by going on hunger strikes.

Doctors say the West Bengal state government has failed to deliver on promises to improve lighting, security cameras and other measures to protect them. Tens of thousands of Indians have also taken to the streets to express their anger at the country’s lack of workplace safety measures for female doctors.

Women and Child Development Minister Annapurna Devi has criticised the West Bengal government for failing to take necessary measures to ensure the safety of women and girls. She said the state has not taken any quick steps to set up special courts to deal with the 48,600 cases of corporal punishment and related cases currently pending.

In a letter to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Ms Devi criticised the West Bengal government for not implementing emergency hotlines such as Women’s Hotline (WHL), Emergency Response Support System (ERSS) and Child Hotline. She stressed that these services are essential to provide immediate assistance to victims of violence, but the state has not implemented them despite repeated requests from the central government.